Cleaning and silencing means



Aug. 4, 1959 c, PRQBST 2,897,916

.CLEANING AND SILENCING MEANS Filed April 10, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 H TTORME Y Aug. 4, 1959 D. c. PROBST CLEANING AND SILENCING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 10, 1957 Aug. 4, 1959 D. c. PROBST CLEANING AND SILENCING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 10, 1957 with which the assembly isconnected.

United States Patent 0.

CLEANING AND SILENCING MEANS Application April 10, 1957, Serial No. 652,044

8 Claims. (Cl. 183-62) This invention relates to cleaner silencer assemblies for internal combustion engines and the like and has particular relation to a cleaner silencer assembly built into the hood for the engine compartment of a motor vehicle or the like.

Cleaner silencer assemblies heretofore have been constructed as a part of an engine and have been installed on an engine to vibrate with the engine when the engine is operating in a motor vehicle or other engine installation.

Unless the cleaner silencer assembly is compactly formed it is diflicult to install the assembly on the engine so that the assembly does not generate sounds that originate in the vibration of the walls of the casing embodied in the assembly. As it becomes necessary tomake the casing of greater width and length and less height the problem of preventing vibration in the walls of the casing becomes greater. Also it has become increasingly difficult to find room to increase the width and length of the casing as the hoods of motor vehicles become lower. The necessity for clearance for the casing between the engine and the hood has all but eliminated the space required for the construction of a structure of any kind.

It is now proposed to construct a cleaner silencer assembly as part of the engine compartment hood and to provide sealing connections means with the inlet means leading to the induction system for the engine, so that the hood may be operated in a normal manner and without the necessity for manually connecting and disconnecting the assembly to the engine as the hood is raised and lowered.

There are several advantages to this construction that are not immediately apparent. In the first place it is necessary to make engine compartment hoods out of sheet metal that is of considerably greater thickness than. has heretofore been used in the construction of cleaner silencer assemblies. The thickness of the metal ofthe hood therefore tends to absorb vibrations that may emanate through the engine through the intake passages In the second place it is customary to employ re-inforcing frame means in constructing an engine hood. This frame means may be formed to provide a depression on the inside of the hood that may be utilized in the construction of the air chamber required in the construction of the assembly. When the assembly is supported entirelyby the hood it becomes possible to use flexible heat and sound insulating coupling means for connecting the assembly outlet means to the induction system inlet means. Further, when the assembly is a part of the hood, it is cooled by the flow of air over the exterior surface of the hood and does not become warm enough to heat the air supplied to the engine to any appreciable extent. It is also possible in such a construction to take the air either from the inside or the outside of the engine compartment. In addition to the foregoing it is possible to construct an assembly forming a part of an engine hood with the least number of parts and more economically than has been possible heretofore in the construction of a separate unit cleaner silencer assembly attached to an engine.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a motor vehicle having an engine compartment hood in which a cleaner silencer assembly embodying the invention is constructed.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional View of the engine compartment embodied in the vehicle illustrated by Figure l and particularly illustrating the cleaner silencer assembly embodying the invention and the connection of the outlet means therefrom to the inlet means for the induction system of the engine. Figure 2 is taken substantially in the plane of line 2-2 on Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows thereon.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the engine compartment adjacent one side of the cleaner silencer assembly embodied in the engine hood. Figure 3 is taken substantially in the plane of line 3-3 on Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows thereon.

Figure 4 is another fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the engine compartment and illustrating the cleaner silencer assembly and the induction system inlet means as the structure would appear in elevation and substantially in the plane of line 4-4 on Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows thereon.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the cleaner silencer assembly substantially as the latter would appear in the plane of line 5-5 on Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows thereon.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating the means employed for removably connecting the cleaner silencer outlet means to the inlet means for the induction system of the engine.

The motor vehicle 10 embodying the invention has an engine compartment 11 adapted to be opened and closed by an engine compartment hood 12. The hood 12 comprises a wall 13 of relatively thick sheet material of any suitable kind; at least the wall is thick in comparison to the walls heretofore embodied in the casings of the cleaner silencer assemblies. The wall 13 is re-inforced by a frame 14 that extends around the middle part of the hood and toward the corners thereof and around the edges. The part of the frame extending around the middle of the hood is indicated by the numeral 16 and forms a depression 17 in the hood 12. The depression 17 is adapted to be covered by a closure device 18 having flanged edges 20 secured by bolts 19 to the frame part 16. The part of the cover within the flanges 20 is spaced from the wall 13 to provide an air chamber 21 which is relatively shallow at the middle horizontally of the engine and of greater depth toward the edges and on opposite sides of the middle part. The middle part of the wall means 22 forming the closure 'device 18 is formed to provide outlet opening means 23 by which air is supplied from the chamber 21 to the inlet means 24 for the induction system 26 of the internal combustion engine 27 Within the engine compartment 11. p

In the present instance there are three of the outlet means 23 for supplying three two-barrel carburetors 28 with which the engine 27 is provided. The three outlet means 23 are arranged in a row of outlet meansextending longitudinally of the engine and the engine comparment. Inlet opening means 29 is also provided in the wall means 22 on opposite sides of and in parallel relation to the outlet opening means 23. The inlet opening means 29 forms rows of opening means adjacent the opposite sides of the chamber 21 and the closure device 18 and in the bottom and sides of the closure device 18 adjacent the flanges 20 at the opposite edges of the closure device 18. The rows of opening means 29 extend longitudinally of the engine in parallel relation to the row of opening means 23. The outlet means 23 are adapted to be connected to the inlet means 24 for the induction system means 26 by the flexible bellows, couplings or connecting means indicated at 31. The bellows 31 have inwardly opening channels or beads 32 at the lower extremities thereof adapted to engage flanges or rims 33 on the inlet means for the carburetors 28. The beads 32 are held on the flanges 33 by rings indicated at 34. The bellows may be of increasing diameter outwardly of the ends thereof attached to the carburetors 28 and have outwardly extending and arcuate flanges 36 which are adapted to seal against the surfaces of the wall 22 around the outlet opening means 23. The sealing will occur when the hood 12 is closed on the engine compartment 11. When the hood 12 is open to expose the engine compartment the bellows 31 will expand lengthwise from the inlet means 24. The compression of the bellows upon closing the hood will cause the flanges 36 to seal against the wall 22 to prevent leakage of air within the outlet passage means leading to the induction system of the engine.

The space on opposite sides of the outlet means and within the chamber 21 may be filled to any desired extent with filter means such as that indicated at 37. The filter means in the present instance comprises cells, pods or packages of filter material forming filter elements 38. Each of the filter elements 38 is enclosed by a screen 39 so that the filter elements may be cleaned when the bolts are released to permit removal of the closure device 18. The filter elements 38 extend outwardly to some extend within the inlet opening means 29 and engage the inner surfaces of the wall 22 to seal the filter elements against the flow of air therearound.

The space within the chamber 21 may form an acoustical expansion chamber which may be tuned by the im edance of the inlet means 29 and the filter elements 38 extending thereacross to attenuate sounds emanating from the engine 27.

The bellows 31 may be formed of molded plastic or other suitable resilient, compressible, heat insulating and sound absorbing material for absorbing vibrations from the engine, sounds emanating from the engine and heat that might otherwise be transmitted between the hood and the engine.

I claim:

1. A cleaner silencer assembly for internal combustion engines and the like and comprising, a hood having wall means adapted to be moved to open or close an engine 5 compartment in a motor vehicle or the like, an induction system inlet device having inlet means for supplying air to an internal combustion engine in said engine compartment, said hood wall means being disposed adjacent and in spaced relation to said inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment, a closure device secured to the inner surface of said hood wall means and providing closure wall means, said hood wall means and said closure wall means forming an air chamber between said hood and said closure device, said closure device being formed to provide air outlet means leading from said chamber, air inlet means formed in said closure wall means and leading to said chamber for supplying air to said chamber, air filter means within said chamber and between said chamber inlet means and said chamber outlet means, and means on one of said devices and adapted to seal against the other for connecting said chamber outlet means to said induction system inlet means when said hood wall means is moved to close said engine compartment.

2. A cleaner silencer assembly for internal combustion engines and the like and comprising, a hood having wall means adapted to be moved to open or close an engine compartment in a motor vehicle or the like, an induc* tion system inlet device having inlet means for supplying air to an internal combustion engine in said engine compartment, said hood wall means being disposed adjacent and in spaced relation to said inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment, a closure de vice scoured to the inner surface of said hood wall means and providing closure wall means, said hood wall means and said closure wall means forming an air chamber between said hood and said closure device, said closure device being formed to provide air outlet means leading from said chamber, air inlet means formed in said closure wall means and leading to said chamber for supplying air to said chamber, air filter means within said chamber and between said chamber inlet means and said chamber outlet means, and heat insulating means on one of said devices adapted to seal against the other for connecting said chamber outlet means to said induction system inlet means when said hood wall means is moved to close said engine compartment.

3. A cleaner silencer assembly for internal combustion engines and the like and comprising, a hood having wall means adapted to be moved to open or close an engine compartment in a motor vehicle or the like, an induction system inlet device having inlet means for supplying air to an internal combustion engine in said engine compartment, said hood wall means being disposed adjacent and in spaced relation to said inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment, a closure device seoured to the inner surface of said hood wall means and providing closure wall means, said hood wall means and said closure wall means forming an air chamber between said hood and said closure device, said closure device being formed to provide air outlet means leading from said chamber, air inlet means formed in said closure wall means and leading to said chamber for supplying air to said chamber, air filter means within said chamber and between said chamber inlet means and said chamber outlet means, and vibration dampening means on one of said devices adapted to seal against the other for connecting said chamber outlet means to said induction system inlet means when said hood wall means is moved to close said engine compartment.

4. A cleaner silencer assembly for internal combustion engines and the like and comprising, a hood having wall means adapted to be moved to open or close an engine compartment in a motor vehicle or the like, an induction system inlet device having inlet means for supplying air to an internal combustion engine in said engine compartment, said hood wall means being disposed adjacent and in spaced relation to said inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment, a closure device secured to the inner surface of said hood wall means and providing closure wall means, said hood wall means and said closure wall means forming an air chamber between said hood and said closure device, said closure device being formed to provide air outlet means leading from said chamber, air inlet means formed in said closure wall means and leading to said chamber for supplying air to said chamber, air filter means within said chamber and between said chamber inlet means and said chamber outlet means, and flexible means connected to one of said devices and adapted to seal against the other for connecting said chamber outlet means to said induction system inlet means when said hood wall means is moved to close said engine compartment.

5. A cleaner silencer assembly for internal combustion engines and the like and comprising, a hood adapted to be moved to open or close an engine compartment in a motor vehicle or the like, said hood being formed to provide wall means, an induction system inlet device having a row of air inlet means for supplying air to an internal combustion engine in said engine compartment, said wall means being disposed adjacent and in spaced relation to said row of air inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment, a closure device secured to the inner surface of said hood and providing r closure wall means, said hood and said closure wall means forming an air chamber between said hood and said closure device, said closure device being formed to provide a row of air outlet means leading from said chamber and adapted to be disposed opposite said row of air inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment, air inlet means formed in said closure wall means on opposite sides of said chamber outlet means and leading to said chamber for supplying air to said chamber, air filter means within said chamber and disposed on opposite sides of said chamber and between said chamber inlet means and said chamber outlet means, and flexible means on one of said devices and adapted to seal against the other for connecting said chamber outlet means to said induction system inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment.

6. A cleaner silencer assembly for internal combustion engines and the like and comprising, a hood adapted to be moved to open or close an engine compartment in a motor vehicle or the like, said hood being formed to provide wall means, an induction system inlet device having a row of air inlet means for supplying air to an internal combustion engine in said engine compartment, said wall means being disposed adjacent and in spaced relation to said row of air inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment, a closure device secured to the inner surface of said hood and providing closure wall means, said hood and said closure wall means forming an air chamber between said hood and said closure device, said closure device being formed to provide a row of air outlet means leading from said chamher and adapted to be disposed opposite said row of air inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment, rows of air inlet means formed in said closure Wall means on opposite sides of and parallel to said chamber outlet means and leading to said chamber for supplying air to said chamber, air filter means within said chamber and disposed on opposite sides of said chamber and between said chamber inlet means and said 4 chamber outlet means, and means on one of said devlces 6 and adapted to seal against the other for connecting said chamber outlet means to said induction system inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment.

7. A cleaner silencer assembly as defined by claim 6 and in which means is provided removably securing said closure device to said hood, said filter means being removable for cleaning when said removably securing means is operated to release said closure device from said hood.

8. A cleaner silencer assembly for internal combustion engines and the like and comprising, a hood having wall means adapted to be moved to open or close an engine compartment in a motor vehicle or the like, said hood being formed to provide a frame re-inforcing said wall means, said wall means and said frame being formed to provide a depression in said hood opening toward said engine compartment, an induction system inlet device having inlet means for supplying air to an internal combustion engine in said engine compartment, said wall means within said depression being disposed adjacent and in spaced relation to said inlet means when said hood is closed upon said engine compartment, a closure device secured to said frame over said depression and providing closure wall means, said hood wall means and said closure wall means and said frame forming an air chamber between said hood and said closure device, said closure device being formed to provide air o utlet means leading from said air chamber, air inlet means opening into said chamber for supplying air to said chamber, air filter means within said chamber and between said chamber inlet means and said chamber outlet means, and means on one of said devices adapted to seal against the other for connecting said chamber outlet means to said induction system inlet means when said hood wall means is moved to close said engine compartment.

Altgelt May 24, 1932 Altgelt Aug. 23, 1932 

